Celtic music may be foreign to some, but to Jennifer Shelton Licko ’98 it is a beloved part of her life. In this interview, Licko talks about her passion and how she is keeping a sacred tradition alive around the globe.
Q: What was your ECU student experience like?A: WONDERFUL! My very first experience with ECU was my unforgettable vocal audition to get in to the School of Music. The vocal professors were warm and accepting. I felt cared for during the audition and that sentiment escalated during my four years at the School of Music. My vocal professor Dr. Louise Toppin is a true teacher in that she educates and encourages with strength, integrity, and a sense of caring. It is because of her encouragement that I continued with my passion of Celtic music and created a successful ‘niche’ for my career.
Q: Most performers know from a young age what they want to do for a living. Was this the case with you? A: Yes, my passion for music started at a very early age. My mother, a music teacher, was active in nourishing my passion and committed to raising me in a musical home. I was in church choir, school choir, talent shows, and she ignited my desire to play piano and guitar. My father, although not a musician, has always had a great passion for music. He has always been moved by the feelings music evokes, and I feel sure his love for music encouraged my belief of how important music is for the soul. Becoming a professional musician was a natural progression in my life.
Q: You infuse Scottish, Irish, and Celtic traditions in your music. Talk about those musical cultures and how you became interested in them.A: The musical cultures of Scotland and Ireland have always been exciting, riveting, and contagious. The people of Scotland and Ireland are very passionate and proud of their music, and it’s infused in their daily lives. Many young people are active in the traditional music scene and tunes are still passed down through the oral tradition.
My passion for Celtic music grew as I immersed myself into the culture and I learned more and more about its musical traditions—particularly those of Scotland and Ireland. Even though the world knows more about Irish and Scottish Celtic music, it is also inherent in Isle of Man, Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany. We also see many Celtic traditions thriving in the northern region of Spain (Galicia, Asturias, and Cantabria), in the Chubut Province of Patagonia in Argentina, and in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. However, my interest with Celtic traditions lies mainly in Scotland and Ireland.
SCOTLAND: My Aunt, (Jo Moore Kalat School of Highland Dance, Cary, North Carolina) taught me Scottish Highland dance when I was young. I spent weekends and summers training and competing at Scottish Highland Festivals throughout the eastern United States. This exposure to the Scottish culture was the beginning of my interest in Scotland. Upon graduating from ECU, I received a Rotary Ambassadorial scholarship to study the Gaelic language in Scotland for three months. That experience enhanced my interest in Scottish culture. I continued to return to Scotland to further my knowledge of the culture during the next three summers. It is through all of these experiences and travels that my enthusiasm for Scottish culture grew.
IRELAND: In the beginning, my exposure to Irish music was solely from playing music in the Irish pubs of the United States. I already loved the music, but after moving to Ireland, my passion for Irish music grew from being immersed in the Irish culture. It was during that time I discovered that Irish music is not only pleasing to the ear, but it also delivers deep emotions. It is my belief that the history and folklore of the Irish is most honestly expressed through their music. When I sing certain songs, I feel something so powerful, and yet so precious. There is a great deal of truth in the music of Ireland.
Q: What was it like living in Scotland and Ireland? How did you grow as a singer and musician?A: When I think back about my time living in Scotland, everything seems magical. It was calm, comfortable, and beautiful. The Scottish people are warm, and that made me feel right at home. When I lived
in Edinburgh, some of my favorite things to do were participate in Tuesday night music sessions at Sandy Bells pub, walk up to Arthur’s seat at sunset, eat fish and chips at the Rose Street Fish Fry, and walk back to my flat in the misty rain after a long day. I’ll never forget learning how to play the bodhran (Celtic drum) from an 80-year-old woman who drank scotch and smoked cigarettes between songs. I just enjoyed being a sponge and soaking in the culture. I loved living in Edinburgh where I could look out my window beyond the meadows and see the castle light up the night sky. I also loved my weeks attending Scottish music and Gaelic language workshops in South Uist on the Outer Hebrides where the air was so pure it felt like I was floating. It was a place where I felt completely safe to hitchhike (I speak from experience) or to walk home from the pub in the ‘wee hours’ of the morning without fear. During my time in South Uist, I spent evenings practicing the Scottish Gaelic Language with my host family. My days were spent with many other musicians, all gathered for the purpose of learning and preserving a tradition. Most of my time in Scotland was as a student. I grew as a musician mostly through the knowledge I acquired studying; learning Gaelic, new songs, new dances, the meanings, and traditions.
My time in Ireland was spent as a performing musician, and it was there that I learned how to connect with the music and the audience. I played music in the pubs almost every night of the week and I was most impressed by the extremely passionate respect of both young and old for their history and their country. At the end of every gig we played the Irish National Anthem. I was always amazed how quiet the pub became and the respect shown towards the Anthem.
When I think about my time living in the little village of Tullaghan in County Leitrim, I laugh! All the great stories and memories bring laughter—maybe it’s because the Irish have an infectious sense of humor. Even throughout the hard times they have experienced as a country, they keep their sense of humor intact, and I believe it is a huge attribute of the Irish people.
Tullaghan is the only coastline in the county of Leitrim. It’s roughly three kilometers long and is located on the Donegal Bay. Out my back window I could see the cliffs of Slieve League (Sliabh Liag) and I walked the rugged coastline of Tullaghan almost every day—although rain sometimes hindered me. The scenery is breathtaking in this area of the world and I will continue to highly recommend that travelers visit it. Another aspect of Ireland I recommend travelers to experience is the traditional Irish pub. Even though the atmosphere inside the pubs is completely different than the serene outdoors, the story telling, drinking, singing, fighting, dancing, and laughter transformed my musical life forever.
I could say much more about Ireland and what it was like to live there, but I think it’s more important to tell you what I took from that experience. In Ireland I learned that through music I could make a difference in people’s lives. It is about something greater than the voice God gave me or the knowledge I’ve acquired; it’s about using my voice and knowledge for a greater good—bringing a smile to someone on a bad day, or bringing a tear to someone who needs to release. It’s also about preserving a history of culture and traditions for future generations. Music has a way of making people feel they belong. I moved back to the United States soon after someone said to me “Doesn’t everyone just want to belong?” The truth in that statement inspired me to go back to the U.S. to perform for so many of those Irish Americans and Scottish Americans who want to connect with their heritage. It also inspired me to educate the children in American schools about the Irish and Scottish cultures, how they immigrated to America, and how their traditions still live in ours.
Q: You incorporate a number of instruments in your performances—what is their significance to traditional Celtic music?A: In most Celtic music traditions, one of the main purposes of the bagpipes, whistles, and fiddles was to provide music for dancing. While not all of my songs are dance tunes, I still like to use the traditional Celtic instrumentation.
Q: Your latest CD Shelton: a Thousand Curses Upon Love features Gaelic language songs and English language songs. Talk about the Gaelic languages you use in songwriting and the folklore that inspires you. A: Just to clarify, ‘Gaelic’ refers to the languages that are common in most Celtic countries. Some people refer to the ‘Gaelic culture’ as the culture of the area whose people speak Gaelic.
I first discovered my passion for Scottish Gaelic when I began studying the language in 1999. The people who speak the language come from the western and northern parts of Scotland where, in my opinion, the best of Celtic music lives. In the Gaelic language, there are words that are no longer used because they have no meaning in modern times. Many of those words are used in Gaelic songs. This is just one of the reasons it’s important to preserve the language through the music. If the song is not sung in Gaelic, then a part of the history dies.
Although I have written and recorded a few songs, my major purpose as a folk musician is to sing rather than write. To further that explanation, I sing because of the way certain songs touch people and can bring a memory or a feeling to life. I also love the way a song can preserve a part of history so effectively, because the music can set the tone of the story without even hearing the lyrics.
With regard to my recent CD, A Thousand Curses Upon Love, I was inspired to write a song about a tradition which some say no longer exists: Nollaig na mBan (Women’s Christmas). This tradition took place on January 6, and on this day the men did all the chores while the women enjoyed a day of visiting, telling stories, and singing songs. Although the song is all in English, the chorus is a repetition of the title in Irish Gaelic, Nollaig na mBan.
Q: You’re an advocate of music education in schools and even perform for students in the US, Canada, Europe, Great Britain, the Caribbean, Brazil, Ireland, and the UK. Why is music education so important?A: I come from a family of teachers. My grandmother, mother, and I all graduated from East Carolina University (my grandmother when it was ECTC) to become music teachers. Therefore, education has always been at the center of my world. My mother always stressed the importance of music in education because of its ability to nurture children’s imagination, senses, and creativity. Even though many research articles on education attest to the many added benefits of having music education in our schools (such as the evidence of higher test scores), the main reason we need music education is because of the intrinsic value of music. Music is a basic expression of our humanity and therefore, everyone (especially children) should have that opportunity.
I feel that my role in music education is to use the knowledge, talent, and skill I have acquired to educate children on the cultural traditions in music and dance in other countries. As our world becomes smaller, diverse cultures are beginning to become more and more a part of our lives. I hope that by helping to introduce these cultures to students in an entertaining, educational, and positive way that they can grow up with a more accepting and tolerant view of cultural diversity.
Q: You currently reside in Brazil with your husband, living what you call the ‘life of an International musician.’ How are you able to maintain balance?A: Balance? What is that? Ha! Seriously, my life can be complicated at times. My husband is from Uruguay, we live in Brazil, I am American, and my career is centered on Scotland and Ireland—let’s just say that the airlines love us!
Even though achieving a balance is difficult, keeping sight of the importance of my relationships with other people is what helps balance the scale. Without the people (family, friends, fans) in my life, I have no motivation to share my music. I have always liked the financial expert, Suze Orman’s philosophy of “people first”.
I say I’m living the ‘life of an International musician’ for the obvious reasons of having lived in six different countries playing music. Traveling to other countries to perform is certainly a worthy learning experience in itself! However, living in another country completely changes a person’s international experience. For example, currently I live in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Instead of learning to say ‘thank you’ in Portuguese for the purpose of a tour, I’m learning how to converse in Portuguese so that I can communicate in a city where the minority speak English. Instead of taking in the views from a tour bus, I am learning how to drive in a country where road rules don’t seem to exist. Instead of having a touristy meal, I am getting to know Brazilian customs by spending Sunday afternoons having churrasco’s (the typical Rio Grande do Sul barbecue) at friend’s homes. In some sense, I actually think that living in a foreign country, rather than just touring the country, has helped balance my life. Furthermore, whenever I find myself completely overwhelmed I try to take baby steps to get through that feeling.
Q: What advice would you give to an aspiring singer/songrwriter/musician just starting out?A: Well for those who are already skilled as musicians but are just diving into the music business, I can advise on some things that worked for me.
1. Write down all the things you enjoy and have a passion for, within music and outside of music. Look at all the items on that list and find some ways to connect them through music and create your niche. This niche will set you apart from others, but keep you true to yourself.
2. Always put yourself in the shoes of your audience. What is it you want to experience when you are in the audience? Knowing this will help you a lot when you write and when you perform.
3. Be very organized so that you can take full advantage of all the opportunities out there. Keeping track of mailing lists, contracts, follow-up e-mails and phone calls, your schedule, etc. is of utmost importance.
4. On a more personal note, I feel if anyone wants to use their talent and hard work in music, there is a responsibility to perform with integrity and for the right reasons. If you are in the music game for fame and fortune you are barking up the wrong tree, but if you have a sincere passion and purpose for your music, then you will find fulfillment.